Your Entrepreneur’s Brain Is Different

You think differently and you respond to things differently than most of your friends and family, right? You view the world through a distinct lens that only other entrepreneurs share.

The reason is that you’re wired differently. That is, your brain processes stimuli in a very special way.

You see, there are two types of “change processors” in the world. You’re one of the 15% or so of the population known as an opportunity-seeker.

Your friends and family are likely part of the majority of people known as consequence-avoiders.

Opportunity-Seekers (YOU)

As an opportunity-seeker, you see possibilities everywhere. It’s like you just can’t help but see the opportunity in every situation.

You also tend to be very risk tolerant. You’re not afraid to roll the dice and do things a little differently.

You’re probably also a pretty fast decision maker and very comfortable with change. You don’t mind doing things differently and hopping on board the new opportunity because it might pay off for you.

You also understand that if you’re going to get ahead and make progress you will need to change. In fact, you get so excited about progress that change is actually something that you like and seek out.

Consequence-Avoiders (everyone else)

They see the world as a very risky place and as a result, tend to be risk averse in their decisions. They’re not willing to roll the dice to get something better. They’d much rather keep the status quo.

They tend to also be slow decision makers. They like to mull things over and want to look at all the angles.

Only when that status quo is threatened will they actually get around to taking action and making change.

Pros And Cons

Your opportunity-seeking brain is perfect for starting a business.

As a startup, you have to roll the dice, you have to take a chance, you have to see the opportunity, you have to get excited about the newness of things. Being an opportunity-seeker, you are comfortable with and may even relish the risk that comes with putting it all on the line to start a company.

The problem comes later on when running the business successfully requires forethought, planning, focus and discipline.

Your change-seeking brain creates chaos and confusion as you try to grow.

Let’s look at some of the symptoms of an opportunity-seeker in a growing company:

You like to buy the latest software and tech that comes out because it might lead to more sales

You like to change your sales and marketing just in case the new way could be better

You feel like you’re just one new idea or tactic away from hitting it big

You feel pulled in many different directions but you’re not sure which one is the best

You’ve got an endless to do list that gets bigger each day

You have a culture of feast or famine with sales, profit and cash

You’re stressed about money but you’re optimistic about the future anyway

You hire fast and fire slow

You start a lot of new things but rarely finish any of them

The good news is that you are likely able to mentally and emotionally manage this rollercoaster for awhile on your own.

The BIG Problem

But you’re never going to grow much beyond what you yourself can do.

The reason is that, as you grow, you’ll need to hire staff. And employees (even contractors) are likely going to be consequence-avoiders.

They will get stressed out by the constant change you create and they will either 1) shut down and produce poorly or 2) quit and find a more structured place to work.

Then you are back to square one, struggling to grow. In fact, you’ve just added “staffing” the rollercoaster nature of your company.

That’s the point at which many entrepreneurs throw in the towel. Faced with their inability to hire and maintain staff, they burnout using their own time and energy to grow. They simply can’t work hard enough to hit their goals so they close the doors, tail between their legs. Defeated and exhausted, they slump back to corporate work and dull desk job in a fluorescent-lit box.

The Fix

So how do you make your change-loving entrepreneurial brain behave enough to create a growing company? How do you stay focused on one course of action until it works, then build systems and processes to create predictable cash flow?

The secret is to have a one-page strategic plan that you use each and every day for decision making.

If a new opportunity fits into your annual and quarterly plan, you can take it on. If it doesn’t fit the plan, they you have to pass on it (for now).

By using that plan as your “true north” you can easily and continually bring your focus back to what you know will work. And, when the plan works and your business is humming along, cranking out consistent cash, you can play around with those fun ideas you put off earlier.

Laura Posey

Laura Posey is Chief Instigator at Simple Success Plans. Her driving mission is to show entrepreneurs how to double their business while taking more time out of the company to make a difference in the world.
She is an avid traveler and is always looking to connect with readers around the world.